Promise of a Past Life
by The7thCatWasAGhost
Summary: After his best friend vanishes, Mathias moves to America in order to find him. However, what he finds is a line of disappearances all leading to one place and linked to one thing: human experimentation. Alongside an arrogant German whose brother is a scientist there and an American who fears his lover will go the same way, the three set off to shut down the asylum.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya._**

 ** _Warnings: mentions of human experimentation, mental asylums, foul language_**

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't been in touch lately; I've been busy. Life is good in America. The people there are friendly, too friendly even, and Emil and I are settling in nicely. I'm still looking for a job, though. So far, I've set my sights on a café five minutes away from our apartment, or there's a library ten minutes away by bus. I hope you're alright and not up to much mischief? How are Berwald and Tino? Are they a couple yet?_

 _Wishing you a nice day,_

 _Lukas_

* * *

 _Lukas!_

 _Hey! I was getting worried! I'm so glad you've finally replied! Yay! Don't worry about finding a job; with your intelligence, anyone would be glad to have you! Me? Up to mischief? Never! ;)_

 _Nope, our two lovebirds are still oblivious to the fact they love each other. I'm starting to consider locking them into an empty room and only let them out once they've confessed their love to each other… Do you think that would work?_

 _Keep me updated with your wellbeing!_

 _Your best friend in the whole wide world, Mathias! XXXXXX_

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _Please don't refer yourself as my best friend. I told you, you're just an annoying acquaintance who won't leave me alone. You know, as idiotic as your idea sounds, it might just work. I really hope it will work._

 _I've also found a job! I'll be working as a scientist in a research facility. I'm slightly nervous, as they have strict rules, but hopefully I'll do alright. Have you found a job?_

 _Take care of yourself,_

 _Lukas._

* * *

 _Hey Lukas!_

 _Guess what? The plan worked! Berwald and Tino are now the cutest couple ever! And it's all thanks to me (and you)! Wow! A job in a research facility? Why does that not surprise me? You'll be doing loads of cool stuff, I bet! Sure, they're strict, but think of the greater good you'll be doing! I feel kinda stupid as a waiter in comparison. :(_

 _Say hi to Emil for me and don't worry about a thing!_

 _Your best friend in the whole wide world (even though you refuse to admit it), Mathias_

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling yourself that? I'm happy for the couple, tell them "it's about time" from me and congratulations from my little brother._

 _The facility's a bit strange, to be honest. Everyone there is tall, for one. About Berwald's height, I'd say. They don't smile much, and there's always a funny smell in the air. So far, I'm simply filing away reports but Ivan Braginsky, a scientist here, tells me that I should rise amongst the ranks soon enough._

 _Being a waiter is not a stupid job! Who else would serve people coffee?_

 _Keep smiling,_

 _Lukas_

* * *

 _Lukas!_

 _Smells funny? You sure you're not working in a place where they experiment on humans? :D At least that Ivan guy sounds nice. Make yourself some friends there! The place won't seem as scary then, you'll see! Although I doubt you'll meet someone as amazing as me!_

 _Still obsessed with coffee? When you next visit, I'll make sure to buy loads for you!_

 _I'm always smiling!_

 _Love ya!_

 _Your best friend in the entire world, Mathias! Xxxx_

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _Don't make silly jokes like that. We're not in a horror film. Mr Braginsky isn't what I'd consider a "nice guy". Nobody here is. Not only that, but it's so grey and dry here. It would drive someone mad to live here. Mr Braginsky informed me that I'll be able to help with the actual experiments from Monday, but instead of making me happy, I'm feeling increasingly anxious. I'm not even sure I want to pursue this career, to be honest with you._

 _Emil is faring well. He's actually made a friend! An odd boy from Hong Kong who's obsessed with fireworks._

 _I really hope I can visit soon. It would be nice to see you again, I have to admit._

 _I miss you,_

 _Lukas_

* * *

 _Lukas,_

 _Woah, woah, woah! Are you alright? Saying that you miss me and all… If you're unhappy with what you're doing, then quit. Seriously, it's unnerving to see you so upset._

 _I'm happy Emil's made friends! Looks like America was a good idea after all!_

 _You can visit whenever you want. How about in the holidays? It's only a month away, after all. I could pay for the flights, no problemo! Think about it?_

 _I really hope you'll feel better soon. I really care about you, you know?_

 _Take care, smile more and love ya!_

 _Mathias xxxxxxxxxxxx_

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. Work's been… horrible. They won't let me quit. I've tried again and again, but they've refused. They've even threatened to lock me up with the patients. Because, you see, we don't experiment on animals. No, we experiment on human beings (even though we are animals, but you know what I mean). Living humans who scream and cry! They know where I live, they have the power to take Emil away whenever they want. I'm really scared. I don't know what to do._

 _I can't tell the police; they don't believe me (yes, I've tried). I can't tell Emil, the other scientists don't give a shit, and I don't have any friends here. I'm really scared, Mathias. It hurts me. It hurts me so much._

 _I can't even come and visit you! I want to see you again. I want to hug you, but I can't._

 _Please keep on smiling! Don't ever stop. Never. Please?_

 _I wish I'll be able to write again,_

 _I really miss you so much right now,_

 _Lukas x_

* * *

 _Lukas,_

 _What the actual fuck is going on? What company do you work for? Tell me, and I'll figure something out. We'll get you out of there, just you wait! How about you send Emil over here? Say he's going to visit an old friend or something. He's old enough to travel alone, right? Send him over. Then, you can quit and I can come and get you! I'm being serious._

 _Don't worry! You know me? I'm always smiling! I'm your smiling idiot, remember? :)_

 _We'll get through this; you can trust me!_

 _Love ya and stay strong, my dear Lukas!_

 _Your not so secret admirer, Mathias xxxxxxx_

* * *

 _Mathias,_

 _Emil's safe. He's hidden. They won't find him. They can't touch him._

 _I'm sorry about everything, but this the last time you'll hear from me. I love you. I really truly love you. I wish I could turn back time. I wish I could erase everything that's happened, but I can't._

 _I love you so much. Promise me you'll find someone better than me?_

 _I love you,_

 _Your boyfriend in another life, Lukas x_

* * *

 _Lukas,_

 _What do you mean? I love you too, so much, and I'll never find anyone better than you, that's impossible! Please reply! Whatever shit you've got yourself into, I'll come and find you, I promise!_

 _I love you, and I will get to say these words to you face to face!_

 _Your boyfriend in this life, Mathias xxxxxxxx_

* * *

 _Dear Mr Køhler,_

 _We regret to inform you that Mr Lukas Steilsson, age 20, has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and has been admitted into the "Hetalia Asylum for the Mentally Unstable". We will send you reports on his progress, if you wish._

 _I offer you my condolences,_

 _Dr I. Braginsky_

* * *

In a small apartment in the heart of Copenhagen, sunlight flitted through the curtains, illuminating the official letter. A dark shadow slid over the wooden table, covering some of the handwritten letters the man's lover had sent him. Blue eyes moved from left to right rapidly as he read the content one more time.

His fist clenched in anger as he reached the official letter. How dare they? How dare they take Lukas? The Norwegian was healthy, he was certain. There was no way he was schizophrenic; Mathias would have noticed.

"I'll find you, Lukas. I'll rescue you. I promise. And then, I will destroy those who hurt you," he muttered, body shaking in rage.

In the distance, the sound of a plane landing echoed throughout the city.

One day, he would be boarding that plane. One day, he would go to America. One day, he would find Lukas.

He had promised, after all.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! So this is an idea that I've been working on for a while, and I decided it's finally time to post it!**

 **I'm rating this M since it deals with subjects such as human experimentation and torture. I shouldn't be writing too much detail, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Any warnings will be written above the chapter. As will character names.**

 **I'm interested in hearing what you think of it, and constructive criticism is appreciated.** **Updates should be weekly.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings: mentions of disappearances and kidnapping**

* * *

"We will be landing in New Vanvid in five minutes. Please turn off your electronical devices."

Mathias Køhler removed his headphones and turned his IPod off, tidying his device away into his rucksack. Then, he glanced back out the window. The ground was quickly catching up to them, the tiny grey buildings getting larger and larger, and in a few seconds, the plane had landed and stopped.

"Thank you for choosing American Airlines. We hope you had a nice flight and we hope to see you again!"

The Dane followed the flow of people out the flying object and past passport control. The queue was long, full of hundreds of people visiting America for various reasons. Once it was finally the young man's turn, the woman in the booth glanced at his visa and passport and smiled at him.

"Are you visiting friends over here?" she asked him.

Even though her question was friendly, Mathias wasn't fooled. She was checking whether he was a potential threat or not. However, being the generally optimistic and sociable person he was, he shook his head and laughed.

"Nah, I'm moving here! Been planning it for years now. I've got a job and everything!" he grinned back at her.

"Well, isn't that great? You've found a place to stay?"

"Yep! Moving in with some friends in the centre."

Okay, so maybe he was lying. But it wasn't completely false. He was sure that he could easily befriend the people he would be living with. Even though he had no idea who they were.

"Good luck then!"

"Thanks!"

The airport terminal was busy. Millions of people bustled about, fetching their luggage, buying food from the shops, eating or drinking something in the cafés. The Dane quickly collected his suitcase before heading towards the exit. He walked straight past the locals waving their signs and outside, into the street.

The sun was shining over the busy carpark. It was completely packed. Despite the lack of parking space, most of the people there seemed happy. Children were hugging their fathers, couples were kissing in plain sight, and elderly people grumbled about the flight.

The blond male called a taxi over and gave the driver his destination.

"Hey, could you take me to this address, please?" he passed the smiling man a piece of paper.

"Sure, no problem! So, where are you from?"

As the taxi sped through the motorway to the city, the two exchanged friendly conversation. Mathias had never had any difficulty in conversing with people, which was always helpful in life. His bright blue eyes scanned the tall buildings of the city as they passed them, wondering which one he was going to live in.

He had arranged to share an apartment until he earnt enough to pay by himself. Unfortunately, he had no idea who he would be living with, even though they had seemed friendly in their emails.

Mathias was brought out of his reverie by the taxi parking in front of a tall black building. He quickly paid and gathered his luggage before looking at the lock on the door. It was one with a code, one he was pretty sure his roommate had given to him. After a five minute struggle, he managed to push the buttons and there was a ping as the door unlocked.

The inside was quite run down. There was an elevator with an "out of order" sign, a dying plant in the corner and some dusty stairs. The air stank of wet dog. The Dane pulled a face but started to climb the stairs, on the search for the apartment number 417.

It was a long climb, and he felt absolutely exhausted once he'd reached his new accommodation. From the sound of it, his roommates were in and playing a video game. Already feeling like they'd get along, the blond man knocked.

There was silence as the game was paused, then the doors swung open, revealing a blond-haired man with bright blue eyes and silver glasses. He was shorter than Mathias and a bit wider around the middle.

"Hello?" his accent was distinctly American, maybe New York or somewhere similar.

"Hi, I'm Mathias Køhler. I'm supposed to be living here with you, I think," the Dane rushed his hand through his hair.

At this, the man's eyes lit up and he grinned.

"Ah, so you're our new roommate! Pleased to meet you! I'm Alfred F. Jones. Oi! Gilbert! Come and meet our new roomie!" the American yelled through the hall.

Shortly after, another man walked over, yawing and stretching. He was about the same height as Alfred, albeit a bit thinner. What surprised Mathias was his hair and eye colour. The man's hair was white, pure white, and his eyes were blood-red! Guessing he was an albino, the blond reintroduced himself.

"Nice to meet you! I am the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt! During your stay here, you must remember that I am the awesomest person in this house and that your unawesome self is beneath me. And if you run into a small adorably cute awesome bird, then that is the awesome Gilbird, the second most awesome person in this house!" the albino proclaimed, a German accent oozing from his words.

The Dane wasn't sure how to react to this. So he laughed.

"I'll try to remember."

"Gil, don't scare him. Honestly," Alfred sighed, "ignore him. His ego is big enough as it is."

Gilbert made an offended sound, but kept his smile. Mathias felt like they would get along just fine. As they gave him a tour of the small apartment, he realised there were only three of them.

"Aren't there supposed to be four of us?" he frowned.

At this, the two exchanged a glance before looking away. Worried that he had asked the wrong question, the newcomer was about to apologise when Alfred spoke up.

"There was another guy, but he disappeared a few months ago. We think he moved back to his home country, but we can't get in contact with him."

Mathias froze. That sounded awfully like something that had happened to him. The reason he had left everything behind in Copenhagen to move to America. Cautiously, he asked them one last question.

"Oh, I'm sorry for bringing it up. If you don't mind me asking this, what was his name?"

"Yong Soo Im. He was from Korea."

"And… did he happen to work in a research facility?"

Mathias knew he was treading on broken glass, but he needed to know. Maybe if he found other cases like Lukas's, he'd be able to rescue his friend.

"Why do you ask?" Gilbert glared at him, a defensive edge to his voice.

Mathias hesitated. Should he tell them? Deciding that it would be better to work with someone rather than alone, he headed back to the living room, sat down on the sofa and motioned for them to do the same. Then, he rummaged in his backpack for the letters.

"My friend, Lukas Steilsson, moved here four years ago. He found a job at "Hetalia Asylum for the Mentally Unstable", but told me he didn't like it there. Then, one day, he disappeared and I received this letter," he showed them the official letter.

Both men froze as they read it. Finally, Alfred nodded his head.

"Yong Soo worked there, although he only did the cleaning. He told us there was always a funny smell over there. Then, one day, he vanished. A few days later, we received a letter from the same person informing us he'd been diagnosed with pyromania, or something like that," the shorter man explained.

An uncomfortable silence settled between the three men. Mathias's mind was going a hundred miles an hour. He had found a similar case to his. That meant that there must be other missing people!

"So, what are we going to do now?" Gilbert was the one to break the quietness.

"Isn't that obvious?" Mathias grinned, feeling a new surge of anger and adrenaline course through his body.

Seeing their confused looks, he elaborated.

"We're going to get them back!"

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Despite my ongoing fight with my computer, I've managed to upload on time! :)**

 **This chapter's a bit short, and so will the next one, but they will get longer. I'm simply introducing the main characters for now.**

 **New Vanvid doesn't exist, as far as I know, but it's meant to be a small city in the north-west of the US.**

 **Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!** **I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be posted next Saturday!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. It belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings: implied drug abuse, implied physical violence**

 **Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz.**

 **I don't know if any of you listen to music while reading, but the song "Jeune et Con" by Saez really helped me write Vladimir's part.**

 **Characters:**

 **Lukas Steilsson: Norway**

 **Vladimir Lupei: Romania**

 **Ivan Braginsky: Russia**

 **Natalya Arlovskaya: Belarus**

 **Lars van Abelson: Netherlands**

 **Arthur Kirkland: England**

 **Emil Steilsson: Iceland**

 **Mathias Kohler: Denmark**

* * *

Lukas woke with a raging headache. The world was spinning before his eyes, so he quickly closed them. Despite the darkness that now surrounded him, the pounding didn't cease. He groaned quietly. They must have drugged him again. How many times had they made him watch pixies dance or trolls fight? Too many. Much too many.

They rarely let him think for himself. Most of the time, they preferred to leave him in that mindless state he abhorred.

Blinking, he forced his dull orbs to open. The cell was dark, the only light coming from the lamps on the hallway walls. He could just about make out the faint outline of his bed in the corner, the toilet seat and sink, and his companion's limp form on another hard mattress. The floor was cold and damp under his cold feet and the small droplets leaked down the stone walls. The entire room stank of drains, blood and death.

He flinched as he heard the sound of footprints coming nearer. It wasn't long before a tall stocky man with blond hair drawn back and kept in place with gel and unforgiving blue eyes stopped in front of the patient's living quarters. He held a clipboard in one hand and was quickly noting down information with the other.

The Norwegian shot him the darkest glare he could muster in the pain he was in.

"How are you feeling?" the man spoke with a distinctly German accent.

"Like people who have been drugged for the past twenty four hours do," Lukas replied emotionlessly, refusing to display any reaction the scientists here could exploit.

The scientist sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before taking a step forward menacingly. The stick hidden behind his back waved at the blond man. The young male recoiled instinctively, eyeing the weapon with fear. He had been on the receiving end of one of these enough times to know how painful they were.

"Let me repeat myself: how are you feeling?" the stockier person threatened.

"My head hurts and the world's spinning," the patient lowered his head.

"I see…" the darker blond noted it down, "anything else? Your mental state, maybe?"

 _I want to go outside. I need to feel the sun on my face. I'm going crazy without it._

"Nothing else," he lied.

The scientist nodded.

"I will send a nurse to administer some painkillers later. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest," he added before his lips curled slightly upwards, "don't worry, Mr Steilsson. We'll make you all better soon."

Lukas simply nodded, turning his head away as the man clad in white strolled off to check on the other patients. He hated the scientists. There was nothing wrong with him. He was perfectly sane, he was sure of it.

As people did when they were stuck in a small dark place with nothing else to do and no one to talk to, the Norwegian let his mind wander.

How was Emil? He had managed to find a safe place for the teenager to live, but Ivan had been hot on his heels at the time. Had he found out? Was Emil still safe? Had he grown? Had he found a girlfriend? What was he studying now? Lukas had calculated that it must have been four years since he'd been made a patient down here. Four years was a long time. So many things could change in four years.

Then, he thought back to the friends he'd made here, in New Vanvid. Was Arthur still as grumpy as ever? Did he still snap at that annoying American who stopped by the bookshop every week and always put the books back in the wrong place? What about Lars? Was he still involved with the drug addicts? Lukas hoped he'd changed profession, but had a feeling the Dutchman hadn't. And Natalya, the beautiful yet so cold dancer. Had she managed to get in one of those grand and prestigious schools? He hoped so. The only time he had ever seen her smiling was when she performed.

And what about those back in Europe? Were Tino and Berwald still married? Probably, the two truly loved each other. They had probably moved back to Stockholm, Berwald's home town. Finally, he thought about Mathias. Mathias: handsome, friendly, always joking or laughing. The blond always had a large smile on his face, a grin that never faded. Lukas prayed he'd found someone else. A beautiful woman or handsome man with a kind heart who would always take care of him, who would succeed where Lukas had failed. Lukas missed him. He missed him every day. As much as he missed his little brother.

"Him again?" a jovial but tired voice whispered in his ear.

The Norwegian jumped back, turning to glare at his roommate. Vladimir Lupei was a young Romanian volunteer with short messy honey-blond hair and blood-red eyes that never ceased to gleam with energy. His neck was a horrible mix of blue, pink, purple and red blotches caused by the needles which pierced his skin.

"Are you alright?" the taller male asked his shorter companion, refusing to look away.

"Of course I am! These don't even hurt much!" Vladimir laughed, exposing a sharp fang-like tooth in the top-left of his mouth.

Lukas wasn't convinced, but let it be. He knew the Romanian wasn't fully there with him. They had experimented on him so many times the twenty three year old had lost part of his sanity. He rarely remembered people, would talk to the air, laughed almost constantly and sometimes forgot where they were.

"Anyway, you were thinking about your boyfriend again, right?"

"He wasn't my boyfriend. Just a good friend."

"Yeah right. I've seen your face when you think of him. You like him!" Vlad teased.

"Maybe. But that was in a past life. I'll never see him again. Besides, what do you mean, you've seen my face? I might have been thinking of my brother," Lukas sighed.

"With that face? I'd be worried if you were! Honestly, you had that weird dreamy look and you blush really hard."

The blue-eyed man bowed his head, feeling his cheeks flush. How Vladimir could read such emotions was beyond him. Most of the people he'd met couldn't tell the difference. Well, except for Mathias. He felt like an open book in front of that man.

"Vlad, you're embarrassing me. I don't need the whole block to hear about my facial expressions," he muttered exasperatedly.

"Fine, I'll be quiet! Hey, do you think Aurel with come visit me today?"

A pang ran through Lukas's heart at the hopeful expression on his friend's face. He really wasn't with it, was he?

"He said he'd visit after all," Vlad continued, oblivious to the sad look he was given, "and he last visited a week ago, so he should come visit me today!"

"Maybe," Lukas shrugged, looking away.

He couldn't bear to see the Romanian like this. It reminded him that they were all human, that he would one day end up like this sweet young man who had only volunteered in order to feed his younger brother.

"Hey, we should ask the nurse when she comes! She'll know!" Vlad practically skipped on the spot.

"Of course we will. Why don't you get some rest in the meanwhile? That way you'll be full of energy when he arrives," the paler blond suggested.

The younger male nodded happily and bounced back to the rock-hard bed.

"Wake me up when she arrives," he yawned before rolling over.

Lukas just nodded. He wouldn't. Vladimir's brother wouldn't be coming. There was no reason to keep his hopes up.

Once again he thought of Mathias. As much as he hoped he'd settled down, he still secretly wished the energetic Dane would one day break down the metal doors and rescue him.

 _That won't happen, you idiot. We're not living in a fairytale after all._

No, they weren't. This was the real world, and here, he would simply have to find a way out of this place by himself. After all, dreaming away in this place just meant you lost your sanity quicker, and that was the one thing he couldn't afford to lose.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Another short chapter, this time an introduction to our second point of view: Lukas Steilsson (or Norway!)!**

 **Sorry for the late update! I was sick this week-end and busy this week, so I didn't have time to post a new chapter.**

 **Thank you to KathWood69 and to the guest for reviewing! And another thank you for those who followed or favourited this story! It's really positive!**

 **Next chapter will be posted next week-end, so please look forward to it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**New Characters:** **Mei Wang: Taiwan**

 **Kiku Honda: Japan**

 **And if you like listening to music while you read, Land of the Silver Birch, When we were Lovers by Jack Savoretti and Faded, piano version, really helped the writing of this chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

Mathias was stumped. Even though he now had a lead and people he could work with, he had no idea where to start. His first thought had been to find out where the Asylum was, but no one seemed to know. Google came up with no results and there was nothing about it in the newspapers. This brought forth another question: if he couldn't find anything, then how did Lukas and Yong Soo get a job there?

"Do you guys remember how Yong Soo got his job?" the Dane asked his roommates.

The three men were sitting around the coffee table, eating a large pizza as they tried to note down what they knew.

"Not really," Alfred admitted, "all I remember is he came home one evening to tell us that he'd found a job, and a few weeks later, he didn't come home."

"Does he have any family living here or anything?"

The American frowned, thinking hard. Gilbert, on the other hand, lifted his head up in excitement.

"Isn't Kiku his older brother?" the albino turned to the shorter blond.

"Something like that. Their family dynamics are too damn complicated," the bespectacled man sighed, grabbing another piece of pizza.

"Where does Kiku live?" Mathias checked, pouncing on this new lead.

"Woah, woah, you do not want to go to Kiku's house! His brother is fucking terrifying!" Gilbert stood up suddenly, frantically waving his arms around.

"He works at a bookstore, though," Alfred cut in, "we could go there tomorrow, if you want."

Mathias nodded in agreement, noting down the links down on his notebook. Then, he yawned and stretched, the jet lag finally getting to him. Noticing this, the blue-eyed man smiled and tidied the dishes away.

"Go to bed, Matt; you look tired. Tomorrow morning, get up when you want and we can catch Kiku in the afternoon," he instructed.

"Thanks. Night, guys, see you tomorrow!"

He fell asleep relatively quickly, for once not kept awake by thoughts of his… boyfriend? Friend? For once not kept awake by thoughts of Lukas. After all, he was one step closer to finding the small blond male.

* * *

It just so happened that the inhabitants of New Vanvid were early risers. From as early as six in the morning, cars were pipping each other in the heaving traffic jams, people were yelling in the street and Gilbert was cursing at the obscure and violent video game he was playing from the living-room. Mathias groaned, covering his ears with a pillow. Now, normally, he would have no problem with getting up at some ungodly hour and finding something to do, but after spending an eleven-hour flight with wailing babies, snoring adults and screaming children and going to bed after midnight, he much preferred staying in bed.

By some miracle, he fell back to sleep and woke up at eleven, in a much better mood. Yawning and stretching, he got out of bed and headed down the hall to the kitchen. After crossing the threshold, his eyes widened in shock.

By some miracle his friends used to call his "selective deafness", he managed to fall back to sleep and only awoke at eleven, in a much brighter mood. Yawning and stretching, he left the warmth of his bed and strolled down the hall towards the kitchen.

 _So… A kitchen owned by two messy guys… This is going to be fun…_ he sighed inwardly.

However, the kitchen did not look like a hurricane had passed through. In fact, it was clean. Pristine clean. And tidy. All the dishes sparkled from the shelves were they had been stacked by size and weight, the glasses twinkled from the shiny cabinet, spices were neatly arranged in alphabetical order, nicely labelled on the counter, and there wasn't a speck of dirt or dust on the gleaming tiles. Honestly, it looked even tidier than Berwald's, which was saying something.

"Didn't you see all this last night? Why be so amazed now?" an amused voice sounded from right behind him.

"I was tired last night. I don't think it really registered," Mathias shrugged, turning to look at Gilbert.

A small yellow canary was perched on the albino's head and peeped as it saw the tall man, cocking its head to the side in confusion. Guessing that this was "the awesome Gilbird" he'd been told about the day before, the Dane chuckled and held out his hand towards the creature.

"Nice to meet you, Gilbird."

The bird immediately flapped his wings, avoiding the outstretched hand, and landing in a bird's cage hanging from the ceiling. It then chirped almost mockingly at him as Gilbert burst out laughing.

"Don't bother! Gilbird only lets people he deems awesome stroke him. Unless you've got a hidden awesomness we don't know about, it's gonna take a while for him to warm up to you," the German smirked.

Trying not to be offended by the thought that a bird had more importance than him, Mathias rolled his eyes.

"Awesomness? What is it with you and the word "awesome"? You must have said it about a hundred times since I arrived."

"It is the only word in the English language that can describe me perfectly. Of course I use it!"

Mathias nodded as he scavenged the kitchen for breakfast.

Mathias nodded as he scavenged the kitchen for breakfast. Eggs, fruit, bread… not much junk food at all considering who he was living with.

"Where's Alfred?" he asked as he placed two slices of toast in the toaster.

"Working. He's a chef in a restaurant not too far from here. Works from eleven 'til four," Gilbert explained.

"So I'm guessing he does the cleaning?"

The German pulled a face and grimaced, a clearly offended.

"You've got to be kidding! Alfred? Cleaning? Nein, that American can't keep anything tidy, so I'm the one in charge of all that stuff. Anyway, I'm at home more often, so it makes sense."

"Really? You don't look like the cleaning type."

"My little brother's a neat freak, so I'm kinda used to it," the red-eyed man shrugged.

"I see…"

"Well, if I can you leave you here on your own, then I also have work to do."

"Really? What do you do?" Mathias asked, genuinely curious.

"Video games tester. It's fun, but if anyone tells you it's easy, then they're unawesome idiots," the German huffed.

Mathias nodded as the albino left before thinking back on his links. Today, Alfred had promised to introduce him to Yong Soo's brother, who would hopefully tell them how he got the job and where the asylum was.

However, in the meanwhile, the only thing he could do was check up on his information. Grabbing his breakfast, he opened his notebook.

 _Okay, so Lukas got his job early July and disappeared late august… He hid his brother before disappearing… In early September, I received a letter from a Dr I. Braginsky, who Lukas had mentioned beforehand as a scientist there and "not a nice man"… Then we have Yong Soo, who disappeared a few months ago… I need the exact date… he also got a job at the Asylum… So, I need to find out more about him, but Alfred's going to introduce me to his brother, so that's one thing checked off… Then, I need to find out more about this Dr I. Braginsky… And I need to find Emil._

He frowned. The last two were obviously going to be harder. He had searched on Google, but there were too many Ivan Braginskies to be able to accurately find the one Lukas had mentioned. And as for finding Emil, he had absolutely no idea if the Icelander still lived in New Vanvid or not!

Closing the notebook with a sigh, Mathias decided to start looking for job offers. After all, he was currently unemployed now that he'd quit his previous job as a journalist. It didn't take him long to find a café about ten minutes away from the apartment which was looking for some waiters. By the time he had sent his CV, Alfred was back from his job.

"Matt! You home?" the American yelled from the entrance.

"Yep! Coming!"

Mathias ran over, swinging his backpack over his back as he joined his roommate. Alfred smiled at him before yelling in the direction of Gilbert's room, which was echoing with the sound of explosions and gunfire.

"Gil! You coming with us or not?"

"Nein, I've got work to do! Say hello to Kiku and Arthur for me, though!" came the annoyed reply.

""Kay, see you then!"

Alfred gestured to Mathias to follow him. The street was busy; apparently, treading on people's feet was just as normal here than everywhere else in the world. Cars sped past them as the two young men chatted about many things, such as the latest superhero film, baking and random other things. Soon enough, Mathias mentioned his potential job.

"Les Gauffres Belges? The café on the other side of the block, right? Owned by Laura de Vries?" Alfred checked.

"Yeah, that's the one. Why? Do you know the owner?"

"Yep, we went to school together! She's from Belgium, but moved here eons ago. Don't worry, she'll hire you on sight. You two would probably get along. Just don't try to flirt with her. Her brother will kill you," Alfred went on happily.

"Talking from experience?" the Dane smirked.

"Nah, one of Gil's friends did. Lars punched him, if I remember correctly."

Mathias shuddered. Protective brothers weren't nice to deal with.

"Wow, scary," he muttered.

"Yeah, Lars' like, really tall, about your height, and he's terrifying! Laura's a bit ditzy, so he handles the finances. And he's involved in illegal business, you know, like drug dealing and stuff."

Mathias nodded absentmindedly as Alfred rambled on and on. All around him, tall black buildings loomed menacingly as people rushed in and out of shops and offices. Noisy cars rushed past them, leaving smelly clouds of smoke in their wake. As they wandered on, the Dane noticed they were heading towards a large shopping centre. Despite the late afternoon sun lighting up the world, neon signs were already turned on and music blared through the speakers. Alfred led him through the bustling mall, past the clothes and shoe shops that were jam packed with shoppers, past the more subdued video game and DIY stores, right on until they reached a large shop at the end of the long hall.

It appeared to be a completely normal book shop. Its name, "The Book Corner", was neatly written in dark purple above the doors, with "if you are an uncultured wanker, then we recommend you go somewhere else" in small print underneath. A small board informing customers of current sales hung from the wall.

"This is where Kiku works. Come on," Alfred gestured for his companion to follow him.

The inside of the store was just as plain as the exterior. Books were neatly lined on the shelves by genre and author, with the special offers and new releases having their own bookshelf in the middle of the aisle. Beanbags and small cosy sofas were dotted around the large space, a few occupied by readers of various ages.

Alfred headed straight to one of the clerks. She was a pretty young woman of about eighteen years with long wavy black hair and kind almond-coloured eyes. A floaty pink dress framed her slim features and a flower hairclip of the same colour decorated her hair. She smiled as she spotted the young man.

"Alfred! It's been a while! How are you?" her voice was high-pitched and soft, tinted with a Chinese accent.

"Being the hero, of course! What about you?" the blond laughed.

"Suffering. Yao's unbearable at the moment, not that that's anything new. Li Xiao's rebelling. And Kiku vanishes off to who-knows-where, so I decided to find myself a part-time job," she sighed in mock exasperation, the mirth in her eyes betraying her, "But enough about that. Who's this young fellow you've brought with you."

Her eyes certainly seemed interested as they scanned Mathias up and down. Alfred patted his new friend on the shoulder.

"Mathias here, is my new roommate! Matt, this is Mei Wang, Kiku's something sister. He's actually why we're here."

"Nice to meet ya, Miss Wang!" Mathias grinned charmingly at her, "sorry to disturb you."

"Oh no, not at all. What can I do for you? And please call me Mei, Wang makes me sound like an old lady," she blushed slightly.

Mathias thought quickly on how to board the subject. If she was related to Yong Soo, then she most likely wouldn't want to discuss his whereabouts with a total stranger. And that was where his experience as a journalist came in handy.

"Well, I know it's kinda rude of me, and I probably shouldn't be asking you this…. But my… best friend… vanished a few years ago and I'm looking for him. I recently found out that your brother, Yong Soo, also went missing, and I was wondering if you had any information that could help me find them?" he used his most charming smile, the one people always gave in to.

Mei froze. She had turned as stiff as a stick, and her pale eyes flashed with uncertainty and fear. Her right hand nervously grabbed a pencil and started rolling it between her fingers. She didn't say anything.

"Now I get that what happened must have been hard, but anything you can remember would be really helpful," he softened his voice.

"Nothing happened. There was an argument and he ran away," Mei shook her head firmly, meeting his eyes without hesitation.

Mathias sighed inwardly. She wasn't willing to talk. And she seemed scared. Just like Lukas had been in his letters. He knew there was no need to push her any further. But he needed to find Lukas, and Emil if he could.

"Okay then. Can I ask you something else then? Last question, I promise."

She nodded stiffly, eyes glancing imploringly at Alfred, who was watching the exchange with furrowed eyebrows.

"Do you happen to know a person named Emil Steilsson?"

This time her entire demeanour changed. Whereas before she was uncomfortable but unshakeable, now her eyes were lit with a fire. Something akin to protectiveness.

"I went to school with him. He left the country years ago and never came back. Is that all? Sorry, but I am working," her sweet smile was fake, no doubt about it.

Angry at himself for failing to find anything and irritated at her for hiding something, Mathias just nodded and politely bid her farewell before wandering towards the end of the shop, leaving Alfred behind.

 _She knows something about Emil. He didn't leave the country. He's still here. Someone's protecting him. But where could he be? And who the hell can tell me?_

There was still her brother to interview, but why would he be any more willing to answer his questions? Already a dead end, and he'd only just arrived here!

It was only as he reached the back of the shop that he realised he had strolled into the crime section. Smiling bitterly, he pulled out a book and read the back of it. When he had been younger, he had dreamt of solving a case. Nowadays, he just wanted to see his best friend again.

A sudden feeling of heaviness overcame him and he plopped himself down on a beanbag and carefully removed the letters he had exchanged with Lukas from a folder in his backpack. He slowly read them once again, knowing every word by heart by now. He admired his friend's neat handwriting before frowning at the messier crazed scrawls that it changed into as the weeks passed. He chuckled at the jabs they shot at each other, false insults to hide their true feelings for each other.

He remembered Lukas when he was little: shy, but with such a sharp tongue that bullies didn't even dare target him. He had calmed down as he grew older, becoming quieter but more confident. He recalled how, the first time they'd met, Lukas had insulted him. He had called him an idiot. It had soon become a habit, and by the time he left for America, it had turned into an affectionate term.

"I bet that if you were with me right now, you'd call me an idiot for coming all the way over here to find you," Mathias whispered, snorting softly.

His hands found a photo, the last photo he had taken of the Norwegian.

He had insisted that it would be a photo of Lukas, Lukas and no one else. The masterpiece properly captured his friend's annoyance at being the centre of attention. His lips were set in their usual straight line, yet there was a slight dip downwards in them if you looked closely enough. In his dark blue eyes, qualified by others as emotionless, Mathias could easily detect exasperation and amusement dancing back at the lens. The slender man's blond hair seemed soft and wavy, and shone in the light. His farewell gift from the Dane, a silver cross-shaped pin, pinned half of his blond locks back, highlighting even more his beautiful features.

Mathias didn't notice he was crying until a drop splashed against the picture. He quickly rubbed his arm over his pale blue eyes, biting his lip to prevent the crying. He missed Lukas. He missed his sarcastic remarks, missed the way he would curl up and lean into Mathias when he was tired, the way he smiled, everything about him.

"You really would call me an idiot right now, wouldn't you?" he murmured through the tears.

So immersed in the letters and photo, he hadn't heard the footsteps nearing him.

"To be honest, I think he would be more likely to slap you."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** **Hey everyone! How long has it been? Six months, I think... Sorry for the hiatus, july and august were surprisingly busy, and then it was back to school and the amount of homework makes writing really hard! I did write this a while ago, but it was pretty bad, so I edited some parts, and rewrote others, and finally it's here!**

 **I can't promise they'll be anything up soon as February, March and April are exam months, but I will continue this story!**

 **Now that my excuses are out of the way... This is the proper start of the story. The previous chapters were pretty much there to set the scene. And this chapter's longer (although that may just be because of the length of time I spent describing that kitchen! XD)!**

 **Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! And thank you so much to those of you who reviwed, followed or favourited!**


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